Improved device for reefing fore-and-aft sails



UNrraD STATES JOHN HART, OF SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND.

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR REEFING FOREeANDr-AFT SAILS.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN HART, of Sanden land, in the count-y ot` Durham and Kingdom of England, have invented new and useful Improvementsin ReengFore-and-Aft Sails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l represents a sectional elevation of this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.3 is a horizontal section of the mast. Fig. 4 is a detached side elevation of the throat end of a boom or gaff constructed according to my invention. Fig. 5 is an end view of the guard detached, the three last figures being in a larger scale than the previous figures.

Similarlettersofreferenceindicatelikeparts.

This invention consists in making either the boom or the gaft' so that the same will revolve, and that by revolving it the sail will be caused to roll upon and oli' the same. For this purpose the throat end ofthe boom or gaff is titted into a socket, from which projects a strong` pin on a line with the axis of the boom or gatt'. This pin has its bearing in a hole in the middle of a pair of what may be termed outer jaws,and in this hole it works as aswivel. AThe two ends ofthe onterj aws aret'astened to the two sides of a pair of whatmay be termed the inner jaws77 by pins or other means, so as to form two joints, on which the boom or gait and the outer jaws swing up or down without altering the position of theinnerjaws. The position of the boom or gaft is adjusted by traveling bands,

one near the outer end or peak thereof and one near its throat end, and a suitable rope or chain tackle serves to impart to said boom or gaft' the desired revolving motion. This chain or rope passes round a suitable grooved wheel secured tothe boom or gaff near its throat, and

a hoop, with suitable guards, attached to the have a semicircular iorm, and embrace thev mast, as shown. The boom andthe outerjaws can thus be made to swing up and down without altering the position ot' the innerjaws, and said innerjaws are free to move up and down and round the mast. The swivel and the inner and outer jaws together form a universal joint, allowing the boom to revolve at the same timefreely round its own axis. The middle of the outer jaws is strengthened at the point where the pin passes through by being increased in thickness. At thispoint and immediately over thepin itself a setscrew may be applied at right angles to the pivot b in such a manner that said pivot can be fastened and prevented from revolving in the swivel. At the after end of the traveling boom is a traveling band, f, with a middle ring, which has an eye, g, on its lower side, to which eye the sheet b is fastened. The topping-lift t' is attached to an eye, j, on' the upper side of the traveling bandf,

or said topping-lift is furnished with an eye atits end, which works on and along a curved bar of iron fastened at each end to the middle ring. A similar traveling band lnay be attached to the gaff, or ordinary throat and peak halya-rds may be used for the purpose ot' oper ating the same.

An endless chain, 7a, has one bight passing through and over a common block, Z, at the masthead, and the other bight passing under the boss a at the fore end of the boom, and one part of such endless chain passes on each side of both the gat't1 and boom, as shown in Fig. l; or this endless chain, instead of being carried upward and passed over a block above the gaff, may be shorter and carried downward and round a bossed winch, placed either on or below the deck and worked by manual labor or power.

To keep the endless chain from slipping off the boss a, I use a guard or guide, (marked 011,) consisting oftwo pieces of iron or brass pinned together at the ends and placed above the boss, as shown particularly in Fig. It. Both parts of the endless chain pass through this guard or guide, and to ease the friction a roller, a, is placed on each pin between the side pieces of such guard or guide. Said guard or guide is either left loose, or it may be fixed tothe mast or to the boss by rigid or hinged standards. In the drawings it is shown as heilig fastened tothe boss a, which, for this purpose, is provided with a projection that is embraced by aring or hoop, m', so loosely that the boss may revolve without causing the hoop or ring to revolve also. From the upper partot this hoop or ring extend two standards, to which the guard is attached, and it is made in two halves, which are secured together by screws o or other suitable means. The lower screw holds a shackle to which a rope is attached, which,

being made fast on deck, holds the hoop or` ring m from revolving with the boss. It' one or both of the screws o be screwed tight, so as to make the hoop or ring grip the projection of the boss, said boss and the boom are prevented from revolving.

A tackle, p, hooked to the descending part ot1 the endless chain, as high from the deck as possible,forms thedown-haul- Uponthemasts I use the ordinary hoops, q, which are provided with travelers r. These travelers consist of rollers secured to the hoops by forked brackets or by a strip of canvas, or any other suitable means, and they catch over the weather of the sail, which is strengthened by a thicker rope than usual. The traveler, by embracing that rope, keep the weather ot' the sail in position with reference to the mast, and at the saine time they slide up and down the weather ot` the sail to be rolled tupon and off the boom. A short piece of chain or rope, s, is made fast by one end to the top of the throat of the gat't, and its other end is hooked to the descending part of the endless chain.

To reef the sail, I slack the peak and throat halyards, which causes the weight of' the galt to bear down upon the endless chain. I also haul on the down-haul, and as the lower bight ot' the endless chain passes lunder and round the boss a it causes the boom to revolve, and the sail is thus rolled round the boom. To make sail, I slack thedown-haul and hoistupon the peak-halyards and tbroat-halyards, as usual, which rolls the sail oft' the boom again.

It the gaft' is made to revolve instead ofthe boom, a revolving ring has to be secured to the p'eakend of the gait' to keep the lee of the sail extended during the operation of reeting, and in .place ofthe endless chain 7c a reef-tackle of chain is employed to impart the requisite revolving motion to the gaft.

Instead ot` making either the boom or gat to revolve, as above described, I place at intervals from the traveling band to the boss hoops or rings, with eyes in each ring for four or five rods. These rods form a frame upon which the sail is bent, and the frame .is made to revolve by means similar to those before described for making the boom or gaE to revolve.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

1. The combination of the boss or socket a, pin b, jaws e d, and chain 7c, with the boom or gatt', as and for the purposes specified.

2. The guard my, in combination with the chain passing round the boss or socket at the fore end or throat of the boom or gait, as set forth.

3. The combination of the travelers r with the masthoops and sail, as and for the purpose described.

JOHN HART. Witnesses:

J oHN L. ALLEN, ALBERT EDWD. OVERELL. 

